Most Virtual Universes are based on proprietary, simple user/password type authentication systems. This may work for the general public and for rudimentary access control, but it is inadequate for support of area-based security access, access credentials, or other virtual universe analogs of physical security mechanisms. For example, if a business entity such as International Business Machines, Inc. (the assignee of the present invention) hosts a number of meeting areas within a virtual universe, with each one being restricted to specific individuals or to individuals with specific clearances, it can be very difficult to provide a real-time method that can immediately validate that a user is permitted into the restricted area.
A virtual world or virtual universe, sometimes designated by the acronym VU, is a computer-based, simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and to interact with one another therein via avatars. This habitation usually is represented in the form of two or three-dimensional graphical representations of humanoids (or other graphical or text-based avatars). Some, but not all, virtual worlds allow for multiple users.
The world being simulated typically appears similar to the real world, with real world rules such as gravity, topography, locomotion, real-time actions, and communication. Communication has, until recently, been in the form of text, but now real-time voice communication using VOIP is available. This type of virtual world is now most commonly found in massively multiplayer, on-line games (Second Life®, Entropia Universe®, The Sims On-line™, There™), particularly massively multiplayer on-line role-playing games such as EverQuest®, Ultima On-line™, Lineage™, World of Warcraft®, or Guild Wars™.
It should not be assumed that the utility of virtual worlds is limited to game playing, although that is certainly seen to be useful and valuable insofar as it has become a real economic reality with real dollars being exchanged. However, the usefulness of virtual worlds also includes the opportunity to run corporate conferences and seminars. It is also used to conduct virtual world classroom sessions. Governmental and instructional opportunities abound in the virtual world. Accordingly, it should be fully appreciated that the term “virtual” as applied to this technology does not in any way make it less real or less valuable than the “real” world. It is really an extension of current reality. Moreover, it is an extension that greatly facilitates human communication and interaction in a non-face-to-face fashion.